


Planting Coffee

by steamedempress



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Haru Okumura Week 2018, Trans!Haru, endgame P5 spoilers, not mentioned but still canon to this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 11:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16831909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steamedempress/pseuds/steamedempress
Summary: Haru, while working with at a coffee shop, has a good talk with a certain someone.





	Planting Coffee

The door slammed open, making a rather loud noise. But the culprit wasn’t angered, just exhausted. Haru dropped the large bag of fertilizer on the school roof. She bent over, her hands on her knees, panting. She could have asked for help, but everyone was so busy, she was too, but she also had to make time for her plants. None of them were spending every second of everyday working. But many seconds were in use. Once she caught her breath, she crouched down and began to talk to her plants about what was going on. 

“Sorry if I haven’t been giving you guys the attention you deserve. It’s been… something lately.” She began. 

“Someone… important to me was arrested. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. He sacrificed himself to save us. Suffering because of a “crime” he never committed about a year go. He definitely didn’t do it. But he’s still being punished for it. It’s terrible…” She paused. 

“I hope and pray for his safe return, and to be unharmed inside of prison. Apparently, I’ve heard Ren-kun had connections, and has some people in there are protecting him. He really changed a lot of lives in the course of a year. Including mine.” She sighed, then continued.

“There was someone else too. Someone I respected. He… passed away. But he did it doing what he loved, and defending what he loved. He was cute, strong, brave, a lot like Ren-kun now that I think about it. It’s no wonder the two were practically inseparable. Wherever he is now… hopefully he’s happy.” She smiled sadly.

“That’s not your problem though. All you guys need to do is grow big and strong! I’m sure you can.” She began to hum a song she listened to time and time again. Eventually she began to sing a bit. 

“I’m a shapeshifter… at Poe’s Masquerade… hiding both face and mind.... All free for you to draw…” She felt the song spoke to her, that it really described her. “I’m a shapeshifter…what else could I be? Please don’t take off my mask… my place to hide.” Thinking a bit more, it described him too. He had many faces. Ren Amamiya, soft spoken, if a bit snarky. Then Joker, confident, brave, reckless. Both were him. And both were very dear to her.

She took a bit of coffee and used it to help her plants as well. She giggled a bit, thinking about how it can affect flora and fauna in similar ways. It gave them both energy, and it was another reminder of just how alive plants were. Just like her. They were one in the same in a way. She had been described as a flower before. Beautiful, yet resilient. She wasn’t sure if she agreed, but she appreciated it nonetheless. 

Feeling that was enough for now, she stood back up and sat on a bench nearby. Her days of being a phantom thief were truly over. The metaverse was gone, which was for the best to be fair, and by time she joined, things had gotten pretty bad. Almost as if she was cursed, and was the one to bring misfortune on them. She was happy though, that she could contribute. She helped to save the country, the world! How could anyone be upset about that? 

She took another look at her plants, and thought back to Ren, how he was so proficient with his hands, how much he helped her. She was going to help him this time. And, when they save him, he was gonna be proud of her. She nodded with a look of determination, before walking off.

* * *

The familiar comforting ring of the Leblanc door opening entered Haru’s ears as she walked in. The smell of coffee made her feel incredibly nostalgic. Sojiro looked up, and upon seeing Haru walked over to greet her.

“Hello little lady, here to brew some coffee?”

“Mmhmm!” She nodded. “I’m very thankful that you gave me this opportunity.”

“Anything for you kids. I’ve gotta head out for a few cigarettes. Think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone?”

“Yes sir!” She saluted. 

“Haha, I’m counting on you Haru.” He waved and left, leaving Haru to the shop.

She put on an apron, and stood behind the counter. A somewhat pudgy looking male walked up to the counter, asking for iced tea. Haru gave him a smile and got to work. While she was in the process, he began to start conversation with her.

“Aren’t you… Okumura-chan?”

“Yes, I am she.”

“What are you doing working at a coffee shop?”

“I’m working here because I’d love to own my own coffee shop one day.” She answered. “This shop has been there for me when I needed it most. The joy it brought me, I want to give that gift to others.”

“Aren’t you set for the rest of your life though?” He asked.

Haru was somewhat bothered by this question, but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just an innocent inquiry.

“It is true that I probably would be fine financially without it. But I wouldn’t be happy like that.”

“How interesting. You’re a unique woman you know that? Not many people in your position would have a thought process like that.”

“Um… was that a compliment or…?”

“It was meant to be darling.”

“Oh, okay.” She was slightly taken aback, but flattered nonetheless.

He finally took a sip of his drink, and his eyes grew wide, Haru’s heart raced, hoping she didn’t mess it up. He placed the drink down and looked at her.

“It’s amazing! Not to say I expected it to be bad but… this is incredible!”

“Thank you, I’ve been studying and practicing under Sakura-san.”

“It really shows. Definitely has been paying off exponentially. You’re a lady of many talents, and I’m sure your father is looking down smiling.”

“I like to think so too.” She giggled a bit.

At his mention, her thoughts are suddenly filled with him. How he helped her, how he’d support her. How he loved her. But also how he was eager to sell her off, just to get higher in the world. How he was willing to sacrifice her for his own selfish gains. She wonders, in heaven, did his change of heart go through? Or is he still distorted? There was really no way of knowing. She blinked quickly to stop the forming tears from coming out of her eyes, before this person would notice. His speaking interrupted her thoughts.

“He was a great man Okumura-chan.”

“Yeah… yeah he sure was.” She smiled.

“But I’ve taken up enough of your time today. I should get going. You’re a rather busy one.”

“Oh, don’t worry, you’re no bother!”

“Haha, good to hear. How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“I see. If you ever want to talk, come to Shinjuku Crossroads.”

Haru is shocked, and wonders who she was just talking to. But, she actually might take him up on that offer. “I guess we’ll see sir.” He leaves, and over time Haru is given more and more requests, which she handled with aplomb.

* * *

Sojiro returned, and Haru handed him a 500 yen bill, to his confusion.

“What’s this for?” He asked.

“This was a tip I got, so I wanted to give it to you.”

“Oh no, you earned it, you keep it.” He walked to the counter, and she stared at the bill. She didn’t need it, but, she earned it. It wasn’t just given to her. Now that he mentioned it, it meant a lot. She almost didn’t notice Sojiro speaking to her.

“You did good. You’ve come a long way.”

“Thank you!” She beamed. Her phone vibrated, and she got a message from Makoto. She was asking if she was free, so they could continue their quest to rescue their leader from his unfair sentence.

“I need to go do something important. Do you mind if I go?”

“Not at all. Thank you for your help today.”

“No, thank you!” She waved and walked off. If she could save the world, she could save one person, and spread her joy to those who needed it all around.

**Author's Note:**

> The first day of Haru Okumura week! No promises that I'll be able to get every day, but I'll try! The prompt was coffee or gardening, but why not both!


End file.
